Residents of Thailand’s congested capital are bracing for worse traffic chaos than usual, with anti-government demonstrators planning to occupy major intersections Monday in what they describe as an effort to shut down Bangkok. There is concern that violence may ensue and possibly trigger a military coup.

The protesters are trying to force caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to resign and have her government replaced by a non-elected interim administration to implement reforms they say are needed to stop corruption and money politics. They want to scuttle an early general election called by Ms. Yingluck for February 2.

Since November, the demonstrators have engaged in street battles with police, cut off water and electricity to national police headquarters, and occupied for a time the compounds of other government agencies. There have been at least eight deaths associated with the political unrest.

The protest leaders said last week that the demonstrators would occupy seven key intersections Monday in Bangkok, a city known for its debilitating traffic jams. They’re also threatening to occupy government office compounds.

Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said on Friday that a combined force of around 12,000 police officers and 8,000 soldiers was being deployed to maintain order in the capital.

Protest leaders have said they will maintain their “shutdown” of Bangkok for weeks, or until they obtain their goal. Their recent demonstrations have drawn up to 150,000-200,000 people at their height. The attacks on government installations have been carried out by young men armed with home-made weapons.

The protesters’ attempt to destabilize the country has been assisted by the opposition Democrat Party, which is boycotting the February elections. The main protest leader is a former senior Democrat leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, who served at deputy prime minister in the party’s 2008-2011 government.

The current crisis dates back to 2006, when mass protests calling for then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Ms. Yingluck’s brother, to step down because of alleged corruption and abuse of power led to a military coup. Since then, supporters and opponents of Mr. Thaksin have vied for power, sometimes violently.

The protesters claim that billionaire Mr. Thaksin continues to manipulate Thai politics though his sister by using his wealth to buy elections.

Mr. Thaksin, however, commands overwhelming support in Thailand’s less well-off rural areas, where voters are grateful for his populist programs, such as virtually free health care. He and his allies have won every national election since 2001.

Concern about a coup is high because of the army’s history of intervening in politics. Army commander Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has refused to rule out the possibility of a military takeover.

Another Deputy Prime Minister, Pongthep Thepkanjana, said on Friday that be believed the Army had learned a lesson from the 2006 coup which ended up polarizing Thailand rather than pacifying it and that the international community and many Thais would be opposed to a military takeover.

The grass-roots pro-Thaksin Red Shirt movement, closely allied to Ms. Yingluck’s Pheu Thai Party, has said it will mobilize its supporters to fight any coup.

Most Bangkok residents, however, have more practical concerns. The U.S. Embassy on Friday issued a warning that said the demonstrations “can result in significant traffic disruptions and delays”.

“We advise you to plan ahead,” said the notice, posted on the embassy’s website. “It is prudent to ensure you have a week’s supply of cash, keep your mobile communications devices charged and stock a two-week supply of essential items, such as food, water and medicine.”

We want to tell the world that the ongoing anti-government movement under the leadership of Thailand Democratic Reform Alliance will forge ahead despite obstacles, periodic brutal crackdowns by the police forces to succeed in dislodging the authoritarian administration from power and pave the way for reforms and true democracy.
Further rule by the Yingluck government with massive corruption but without the sense of caring for national stability will certainly lead Thailand to insolvency and economic ruins. As of now, we consider her rule as a âfailed governmentâ which can eventually lead to a âfailed stateâ due to structural collapse.
Come tomorrow January 13, tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators will lay siege to Bangkok, with blockades of major intersections in the capital, leaving only bus lanes open and other mass-transit services for public commuting to accommodate normal life and medical emergencies.
The shutdown of Bangkok will eventually lead to a showdown between the lame-duck and illegitimate Yingluck administration, now much hated by the educated public, and the continuing popular uprising to oust the puppet Cabinet of Thaksinister, now in exile abroad to escape imprisonment and arrest warrants.
Nobody can predict when the confrontation will end. But what is certain is that the people will eventually prevail. The power of good will finally overcome the evil. Yingluck has been moving around to avoid being cornered, relocating her command centers to various locations.
Itâs a virtual government in exile inland!
We request the international community to support the uprising until the Thai people triumph over Thaksinister regime. We also pin our hope on the decisions of independent agencies and the Constitutional Court to end the corruption-ridden and shameless Yingluck government.
The Thai people deserve a better future with total collapse of Thaksinister regime through the popular uprising. Under structural reforms we are confident that Thailand can move ahead with pride and dignity to become a respectable and peaceful society among the

from:
sopon

Posted on: Jan 13, 2014 at 12:25 IST

Previous attempts to organize demonstrations by pro-democratic reforms have encountered ruthless suppression by the police force, using tear gas, chemical-mixed water sprays, rubber bullets and ammunition, causing casualties and fatalities. All of these brutal acts have had Thaksin as the ultimate culprit.
Undaunted, Thai people try to regain ground in protest rallies with three major movements to remove the corruption-infested Yingluck administration from power. The government no longer deserves public mandate and more days in office after it had rejected the power of the Constitutional Court and its verdict. Other appalling acts included attempts to pass a bill to give an amnesty to accused murderers and crooks, notably Thaksin himself.